Thursday, December 31, 2009
The stocks bubble of the late 1990s was succeeded by a bubble in housing; these were the engines of our economic growth. America's production of goods no longer received the level of investment that had made it the engine of our economic growth from the mid-19th century through the 1970s. The change began at the outset of the Reagan years, when the percentage of corporate profits retained for new investment dropped sharply. A report from the International Labor Organization published last week shows where the money went: to shareholder dividends, disproportionately benefiting the wealthy. In the prosperity years of 1946 to 1979, dividends constituted 23 percent of profits. From 1980 to 2008, they constituted 46 percent.
Monday, December 28, 2009
After fixing health care, Mr. Obama's next big promise to his social and union supporters was to right the lopsided U.S. labour relations system. Collective bargaining is weaker in America than in any other developed country. Unionization has been battered for decades by sophisticated (often illegal) employer campaigns, so-called right-to-work laws and a Labour Board that stood by while unions were creamed. Mr. Obama's proposed Employee Free Choice Act would arrest, and perhaps modestly reverse, this long decline in collective bargaining. New laws would enhance workers' shots at forming a union, and their chances of getting a first contract once they have one.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
“Many of our contractors continue to ask me about our prospects in SK, as they, notwithstanding the current economic slowdown, are in a position to bid on a variety of infrastructure and private sector construction projects that continue to be released. These contractors are very keen to see evidence that they/we can operate legally within the province.
“Any updated information you could provide about the legislative process would be much appreciated.”
“Any updated information you could provide about the legislative process would be much appreciated.”
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
"The difficulty with labour issues is that they are seldom as simple as one side or the other purports them to be."
Monday, October 26, 2009
NuCoal Energy Corp. of Saskatoon plans to build $6.5-billion plant
How big? How does a $6.5-billion polygeneration plant producing 150,000 barrels per day (BPD) of gasoline and other fuels, plus up to 700 megawatts (MW) of electricity, sound?
And from Johnstone
Turning coal into gas fuels future for NuCoal Energy
How big? How does a $6.5-billion polygeneration plant producing 150,000 barrels per day (BPD) of gasoline and other fuels, plus up to 700 megawatts (MW) of electricity, sound?
And from Johnstone
Turning coal into gas fuels future for NuCoal Energy
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sears Canada outsources 250 Regina call centre jobs to Philippines where minimum wage in Manila is 382 pesos or $8.63 CAD per day; CEO rolling in cash
zombie doctrine of Reaganism
The Powell Memo and the Teaching Machines of Right-Wing Extremists
"The notion that any action by government is bad, except when it benefits corporations and the rich."
also a good read from Harold
Economists for an Imaginary World
"The notion that any action by government is bad, except when it benefits corporations and the rich."
also a good read from Harold
Economists for an Imaginary World
Talks fail; Hydro workers hit picket line
Wages, length of contract said to be issuesBy: Aldo Santin - Winnipeg Free Press
PICKET lines went up at several Manitoba Hydro facilities across Winnipeg and the province Friday night, after talks broke down between the utility and one of its unions.
The strike affects about 3,000 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034 -- linemen, truck drivers, meter technicians, mechanics and welders.
"Hopefully this will not be very long but no talks are scheduled," Lauris Kleven, business manager for Local 2034, said Friday night while walking the picket line at the hydro yard in Point Douglas at 35 Sutherland Ave.
Hydro president Bob Brennan told media earlier in the day that the union's demands exceeded what the utility's customers can afford to pay.
The main issues have only been described as wages and contract length.
Read more from Santin HERE
Monday, October 5, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Mexican consul tampered with migrant farm vote
Threatened Mayfair Farms workers with blacklisting before union decertification vote was held.
Winnipeg (17 Aug. 2009) - The Mexican consul visited migrant Mexican farm workers in Manitoba and threatened to blacklist them from ever coming to Canada again if they did not vote to decertify their union at Mayfair Farms in Portage La Prairie, says a spokesperson for group supporting the workers.
The vote to abandon the union, which they had previously chosen to join, was announced earlier this month.
Read more Here
Winnipeg (17 Aug. 2009) - The Mexican consul visited migrant Mexican farm workers in Manitoba and threatened to blacklist them from ever coming to Canada again if they did not vote to decertify their union at Mayfair Farms in Portage La Prairie, says a spokesperson for group supporting the workers.
The vote to abandon the union, which they had previously chosen to join, was announced earlier this month.
Read more Here
Friday, August 14, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
As Democrats have pointed out, the angry hecklers disrupting town-hall meetings convened by members of Congress are not always ordinary citizens engaging in spontaneous grass-roots protests or even G.O.P. operatives, but proxies for corporate lobbyists. One group facilitating the screamers is FreedomWorks, which is run by the former Congressman Dick Armey, now a lobbyist at the DLA Piper law firm. Medicines Company, a global pharmaceutical business, has paid DLA Piper more than $6 million in lobbying fees in the five years Armey has worked there.
But the Democratic members of Congress those hecklers assailed can hardly claim the moral high ground. Their ties to health care interests are merely more discreet and insidious. As Congressional Quarterly reported last week, industry groups contributed almost $1.8 million in the first six months of 2009 alone to the 18 House members of both parties supervising health care reform, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer among them.
Then there are the 52 conservative Blue Dog Democrats, who have balked at the public option for health insurance. Their cash intake from insurers and drug companies outpaces their Democratic peers by an average of 25 percent, according to The Post. And let’s not forget the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, which has raked in nearly $500,000 from a single doctor-owned hospital in McAllen, Tex. — the very one that Obama has cited as a symbol of runaway medical costs ever since it was profiled in The New Yorker this spring.
Read More Here
Also From Factcheck
Canadian Straw Man
CPR Administers Bad Facts, Again
But the Democratic members of Congress those hecklers assailed can hardly claim the moral high ground. Their ties to health care interests are merely more discreet and insidious. As Congressional Quarterly reported last week, industry groups contributed almost $1.8 million in the first six months of 2009 alone to the 18 House members of both parties supervising health care reform, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer among them.
Then there are the 52 conservative Blue Dog Democrats, who have balked at the public option for health insurance. Their cash intake from insurers and drug companies outpaces their Democratic peers by an average of 25 percent, according to The Post. And let’s not forget the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, which has raked in nearly $500,000 from a single doctor-owned hospital in McAllen, Tex. — the very one that Obama has cited as a symbol of runaway medical costs ever since it was profiled in The New Yorker this spring.
Read More Here
Also From Factcheck
Canadian Straw Man
CPR Administers Bad Facts, Again
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Olbermann: Legislators for Sale
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Friday, July 31, 2009
At a recent town hall meeting, a man stood up and told Representative Bob Inglis to “keep your government hands off my Medicare.” The congressman, a Republican from South Carolina, tried to explain that Medicare is already a government program — but the voter, Mr. Inglis said, “wasn’t having any of it.”
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A very small niche of America's uber-wealthy have pulled off what may well be the biggest con job in the history of our republic, and they did it in a startlingly brief 30 or so years. True, they spent over three billion dollars to make it happen, but the reward to them was in the hundreds of billions - and will continue to be.
Monday, July 13, 2009
"the Select Few"
That's how it works. And it works that way because we let it. The game goes on and the insiders keep dealing themselves winning hands. Nothing will change - nothing - until the moneylenders are tossed out of the temple, the ATM's are wrested from the marble halls, and we tear down the sign they've placed on government - the one that reads, "For Sale."
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tradespeople oppose Bill 80 because it will allow contractors, instead of workers, to pick the union with which they want to deal. The employer chooses the so-called union, and chooses the terms of the collective agreement. That is not choice for workers. Worse yet, Bill 80's abandonment provisions will let unionized contractors shed their unions without any input from workers. Again, no choice for workers.
Bill 80 robs workers of choice
Union blasted for supporting Bill 80
Bill 80 Written Submission
The Truth About CLAC
Bill 80 robs workers of choice
Union blasted for supporting Bill 80
Bill 80 Written Submission
The Truth About CLAC
Wind Generation has it's Problems Too
Wind farms and gleaming white turbines are springing up across the country as part of the green movement to reduce dependence on coal. But some critics are seeing red, claiming the government isn't doing enough to protect human health, or the environment.
Caution to the Wind - W-FIVE Staff
part one , part two
Caution to the Wind - W-FIVE Staff
part one , part two
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights
Countries where widespread and grave anti-union practices have unfortunately continued include: Colombia, Burma, Belarus, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Iran, Pakistan and the Philippines. Countries such as Honduras and Guatemala should this year be added to this list. In many other countries, where violations are not as outrageous, there is an overall growing tendency to undermine workers’ rights. Interference in trade union activities has been reported in Iraq, Kuwait, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Venezuela, among others. Despite some legislative proposals or measures in some Middle East countries and Gulf States, migrant workers are still denied trade union rights in many countries. In addition to that, companies continued to take advantage of poor legislation and weak implementation to undermine workers' rights.
Worldwide in 2008, at least 76 labour activists were killed as a result of their actions for workers’ rights. Latin America remains the deadliest continent for trade unionists with over 66 murdered in 2008. 49 Colombian trade unionists lost their lives (including 16 union leaders, 4 of whom were women), a 25% increase over 2007. Trade unionists were also killed in Guatemala (9), Honduras (3) and Venezuela (4) among others. In Asia, at least 6 murders were reported (Nepal and the Philippines), as well as 3 in Africa (Nigeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe) and 1 in the Middle East (Iraq).
In countries in every region, trade unions continue to be banned, or their establishment restricted. China still bans independent trade unions. Those attempting to unionise groups of workers or organise protests are often arrested, with some given prison sentences and others condemned to ‘re-education through work’.
Read More HERE
Worldwide in 2008, at least 76 labour activists were killed as a result of their actions for workers’ rights. Latin America remains the deadliest continent for trade unionists with over 66 murdered in 2008. 49 Colombian trade unionists lost their lives (including 16 union leaders, 4 of whom were women), a 25% increase over 2007. Trade unionists were also killed in Guatemala (9), Honduras (3) and Venezuela (4) among others. In Asia, at least 6 murders were reported (Nepal and the Philippines), as well as 3 in Africa (Nigeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe) and 1 in the Middle East (Iraq).
In countries in every region, trade unions continue to be banned, or their establishment restricted. China still bans independent trade unions. Those attempting to unionise groups of workers or organise protests are often arrested, with some given prison sentences and others condemned to ‘re-education through work’.
Read More HERE
Boston Local Installs Wind Turbine on Historic Nantucket Farm
More than 15 electricians from Boston Local 103 recently completed installation of the first 250-kilowatt wind turbine in the United States on Nantucket’s largest and oldest family farm.
Located less than a quarter of a mile from the southern shore of the island off of Cape Cod, the turbine can produce enough electricity to provide 80 percent of Bartlett’s Farm’s energy needs.
The turbine, which has a rotor diameter of more than 100 feet, is unique because of its size.
“Most turbines are either small models for residential use or 1-megawatt ones for large commercial facilities,” said Herb Aikens, owner of Lighthouse Electrical Contracting, Inc. “The 250 kilowatt is the just the right fit for medium-size businesses.”
Lighthouse Electrical Contracting has specialized in wind power since it was started in 2002.
The farm’s owner, John Bartlett, was inspired to install the turbine after seeing a presentation by Local 103 member Newell Thomas at a wind energy conference more than two years ago.
“His farm had hosted experimental turbines back in the ’70s and was interested in bringing them back to the island,” said Thomas, manager of the renewable energy division for Lighthouse.
The farm, which grows fresh produce for Nantucket residents and tourists, has been in the Bartlett family for nearly two centuries.
Thomas, an electrical engineer, has been an advocate of green energy since the energy crisis of 1974. “Wind power really caught my imagination then, and has held it ever since,” he said.
Bartlett helped finance the turbine through grants from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust and the U.S. Agriculture Department meant to encourage farms to establish renewable energy sources. The project ended up costing more than $1 million.
Cape Cod and its nearby islands are quickly becoming a center of wind energy in the region. Cape Wind, a planned 130-turbine offshore wind farm to be located in Nantucket Sound, cleared a major hurdle in January when the U.S. Minerals Management Service issued its positive final assessment of the project.
“We are very proud of this installation and congratulate Herb Aikens for the completion of this significant project at the doorstep of Cape Wind,” said Local 103 Business Manager Michael Monahan.
Located less than a quarter of a mile from the southern shore of the island off of Cape Cod, the turbine can produce enough electricity to provide 80 percent of Bartlett’s Farm’s energy needs.
The turbine, which has a rotor diameter of more than 100 feet, is unique because of its size.
“Most turbines are either small models for residential use or 1-megawatt ones for large commercial facilities,” said Herb Aikens, owner of Lighthouse Electrical Contracting, Inc. “The 250 kilowatt is the just the right fit for medium-size businesses.”
Lighthouse Electrical Contracting has specialized in wind power since it was started in 2002.
The farm’s owner, John Bartlett, was inspired to install the turbine after seeing a presentation by Local 103 member Newell Thomas at a wind energy conference more than two years ago.
“His farm had hosted experimental turbines back in the ’70s and was interested in bringing them back to the island,” said Thomas, manager of the renewable energy division for Lighthouse.
The farm, which grows fresh produce for Nantucket residents and tourists, has been in the Bartlett family for nearly two centuries.
Thomas, an electrical engineer, has been an advocate of green energy since the energy crisis of 1974. “Wind power really caught my imagination then, and has held it ever since,” he said.
Bartlett helped finance the turbine through grants from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust and the U.S. Agriculture Department meant to encourage farms to establish renewable energy sources. The project ended up costing more than $1 million.
Cape Cod and its nearby islands are quickly becoming a center of wind energy in the region. Cape Wind, a planned 130-turbine offshore wind farm to be located in Nantucket Sound, cleared a major hurdle in January when the U.S. Minerals Management Service issued its positive final assessment of the project.
“We are very proud of this installation and congratulate Herb Aikens for the completion of this significant project at the doorstep of Cape Wind,” said Local 103 Business Manager Michael Monahan.
Coalition Touts Nuclear Power’s Benefits
With eyes on the present and future green jobs picture, more than 800 organizations and 1,000 individuals have banded together to champion nuclear power’s low carbon emissions, safety and career opportunities.
The CASEnergy Coalition—short for clean and safe energy—boasts a broad roster of members from labor unions, environmental groups, the business community and beyond. More than 130 IBEW locals from California to New York have signed on to the group.
“Good jobs for IBEW members in any low-carbon setting should be celebrated,” said Todd Newkirk, IBEW Utility Department International Representative. Newkirk touted the environmentally friendly aspects of nuclear power—an industry rich in IBEW membership—which provides nearly 75 percent of all carbon-free electrical generation in the U.S. and offsets nearly as much carbon dioxide as is released from all U.S. passenger cars combined.
CASEnergy is a strong advocate for creating well-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. The average annual salary for a nuclear engineer is nearly $83,000. There are currently more than 30 new reactors under consideration to be built across the U.S. If constructed, more than 20,000 temporary and permanent jobs could be added to the market—many of them with union representation.
“Union members are the best people to help lead this new age of nuclear energy,” said Cranbury, N.J., Local 94 Business Manager Chip Gerrity. Local 94 is part of the coalition, representing nearly 1,000 members at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plant. “When it comes down to it, it’s all about the training and the quality of people. The IBEW has both. Our members know the value of a good day’s work and have high standards.”
President Barack Obama’s and Vice President Joe Biden’s New Energy for America plan includes nuclear power as a key piece of greening the power sector. “It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power as an option,” a statement from the administration said. While safety is a high concern—especially with this year’s 30th anniversary of the Three Mile Island meltdown in the background—the coalition highlights the stringent regulations the industry has adopted.
“Some people still have the misconception that nuclear is a risky business, when it’s actually the most heavily regulated industry anywhere at any given time,” Newkirk said. “That is why it is important to belong to CASEnergy. It is time for the nuclear sector to be seen for what it is, day in and day out—green and clean.”
CASEnergy is headed by former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and a former Greenpeace leader. Studies presented by the coalition have drawn approval and support from diverse members of Congress, AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department President Mark Ayers and IBEW International President Edwin D. Hill.
“We know that nuclear energy is one of several ways to boost economic growth and support good jobs in the construction and operation of new plants,” President Hill said. “The industry will also help ensure that our nation has a diverse and secure supply of energy to meet the needs of the American people well into the future.”
For more information, visit http://www.cleansafeenergy.org/.
The CASEnergy Coalition—short for clean and safe energy—boasts a broad roster of members from labor unions, environmental groups, the business community and beyond. More than 130 IBEW locals from California to New York have signed on to the group.
“Good jobs for IBEW members in any low-carbon setting should be celebrated,” said Todd Newkirk, IBEW Utility Department International Representative. Newkirk touted the environmentally friendly aspects of nuclear power—an industry rich in IBEW membership—which provides nearly 75 percent of all carbon-free electrical generation in the U.S. and offsets nearly as much carbon dioxide as is released from all U.S. passenger cars combined.
CASEnergy is a strong advocate for creating well-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. The average annual salary for a nuclear engineer is nearly $83,000. There are currently more than 30 new reactors under consideration to be built across the U.S. If constructed, more than 20,000 temporary and permanent jobs could be added to the market—many of them with union representation.
“Union members are the best people to help lead this new age of nuclear energy,” said Cranbury, N.J., Local 94 Business Manager Chip Gerrity. Local 94 is part of the coalition, representing nearly 1,000 members at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plant. “When it comes down to it, it’s all about the training and the quality of people. The IBEW has both. Our members know the value of a good day’s work and have high standards.”
President Barack Obama’s and Vice President Joe Biden’s New Energy for America plan includes nuclear power as a key piece of greening the power sector. “It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power as an option,” a statement from the administration said. While safety is a high concern—especially with this year’s 30th anniversary of the Three Mile Island meltdown in the background—the coalition highlights the stringent regulations the industry has adopted.
“Some people still have the misconception that nuclear is a risky business, when it’s actually the most heavily regulated industry anywhere at any given time,” Newkirk said. “That is why it is important to belong to CASEnergy. It is time for the nuclear sector to be seen for what it is, day in and day out—green and clean.”
CASEnergy is headed by former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and a former Greenpeace leader. Studies presented by the coalition have drawn approval and support from diverse members of Congress, AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department President Mark Ayers and IBEW International President Edwin D. Hill.
“We know that nuclear energy is one of several ways to boost economic growth and support good jobs in the construction and operation of new plants,” President Hill said. “The industry will also help ensure that our nation has a diverse and secure supply of energy to meet the needs of the American people well into the future.”
For more information, visit http://www.cleansafeenergy.org/.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
And The CAW is to Blame......
Tired
"Our complaints are legitimate, but the complaints aren't changing anything. And the fat cats get fatter, and they scoff at our complaints like they're only a big fat joke. This is not a new problem. SO what can we do to actually change this stuff. It's time, and people the little people are listening. "
By Michael Brush - April 16, 2009
As millions of people cope with job losses and struggle to make ends meet, there's been only a little belt tightening in the corner offices.
Despite terrible performances that cost lots of jobs and produced huge shareholder losses, hundreds of CEOs pocketed millions in bonus pay last year -- thanks to good friends on company boards.
Consider the Ryland Group (RYL.N) CEO whose bonus went up in 2008 compared with 2007, though more than a third of the homebuilder's employees got the boot. Or the Honeywell International (HON.N) chief who missed the benchmarks for his annual bonus -- and got $3.5 million anyway.
All told: CEOs earn big bonuses for bad year
* Among all the Fortune 1,000 companies, nearly 400 CEOs got bonuses last year, taking home $402 million in annual bonus pay, according to Equilar, an executive compensation research firm. But that's only part of the picture; more bonus pay figures will roll in as additional companies file reports on 2008.
* These privileged CEOs got an additional $66 million in "discretionary" bonus pay. Annual bonuses are linked to some performance target, while boards can hand out discretionary bonuses for whatever reason they choose.
* These bonuses topped off already-large pay packages. CEOs at larger companies earned about $10 million on average last year, according to Equilar.
"Our complaints are legitimate, but the complaints aren't changing anything. And the fat cats get fatter, and they scoff at our complaints like they're only a big fat joke. This is not a new problem. SO what can we do to actually change this stuff. It's time, and people the little people are listening. "
By Michael Brush - April 16, 2009
As millions of people cope with job losses and struggle to make ends meet, there's been only a little belt tightening in the corner offices.
Despite terrible performances that cost lots of jobs and produced huge shareholder losses, hundreds of CEOs pocketed millions in bonus pay last year -- thanks to good friends on company boards.
Consider the Ryland Group (RYL.N) CEO whose bonus went up in 2008 compared with 2007, though more than a third of the homebuilder's employees got the boot. Or the Honeywell International (HON.N) chief who missed the benchmarks for his annual bonus -- and got $3.5 million anyway.
All told: CEOs earn big bonuses for bad year
* Among all the Fortune 1,000 companies, nearly 400 CEOs got bonuses last year, taking home $402 million in annual bonus pay, according to Equilar, an executive compensation research firm. But that's only part of the picture; more bonus pay figures will roll in as additional companies file reports on 2008.
* These privileged CEOs got an additional $66 million in "discretionary" bonus pay. Annual bonuses are linked to some performance target, while boards can hand out discretionary bonuses for whatever reason they choose.
* These bonuses topped off already-large pay packages. CEOs at larger companies earned about $10 million on average last year, according to Equilar.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
(CBS) The effects of the current economic crisis have touched everyone. Even if you still have a good job and a paid up mortgage, chances are your monthly 401(k) statement will remind you that you've lost a good chunk of your savings.
Trillions of dollars have evaporated from those accounts that have become the prime source of retirement funds for a majority of American workers, affecting their psyche and their future. If you are still young enough, there's time to rebuild and recover, but if you are in your 50s, 60s or beyond the consequences can be dire, and its drawing attention to the shortcomings of a retirement system that has jeopardized the financial security of tens of millions of people.
Retirement Dreams Disappear With 401(k)s
Trillions of dollars have evaporated from those accounts that have become the prime source of retirement funds for a majority of American workers, affecting their psyche and their future. If you are still young enough, there's time to rebuild and recover, but if you are in your 50s, 60s or beyond the consequences can be dire, and its drawing attention to the shortcomings of a retirement system that has jeopardized the financial security of tens of millions of people.
Retirement Dreams Disappear With 401(k)s
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Hot Air on Wind Energy
Don't expect wind power to replace coal as the nation's main source of electric power, whatever Obama's interior secretary said.
Summary
Summary
Friday, April 17, 2009
Day Of Mourning
April 28, 2009 is the 25th anniversary of
the founding of the International Day of
Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured on
the Job. Initiated by the labour movement
through the Canadian Labour Congress in
1984, the day has taken on more significance
and is marked around the world.
Thirty one workers were killed on the job
in Saskatchewan during 2008. Ceremonies
to honour those killed and injured on the job
will take place at the following:
Estevan & District Labour
Committee Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00
pm at the Estevan provincial courthouse
lawn in front of the Coal Car Memorial.
Call Delaine Turner at 306-634-5268 or
306-421-8333.
Humboldt & District Labour Council
Call Bryan Barnes at 306-682-4466.
Moose Jaw & District Labour
Council Tuesday, April 28th at 6:00 pm
at the Moose Jaw Union Centre (1402
Caribou St. W.) Call the office at 306-
692-8046.
North Battleford & District Labour
Council Contact Colin Lemauviel at
coconb@sasktel.net.
Prince Albert & District Labour
Council Tuesday, April 28th at 5:00 pm
at the City Hall courtyard. Call Faye Hill
at 306-922-0600.
Regina & District Labour Council
Tuesday, April 28th at 5:30 p.m. in front
of the Caron in the City Hall courtyard.
Call the RDLC office at 306-757-7076 or
rdlc@sasktel.net.
Saskatoon & District Labour
Council Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m.
at the Francis Morrison Library (311-23rd
Street East). Call Kelly Harrington,
president at 306-384-0303.
Weyburn & District Labour Council
Monday, April 27th at 6:30 p.m. behind
the TC Douglas Calvary Centre (400-
10th Ave. SE). Call Wanda Bartlett at
306-842-7938.
Yorkton & District Labour Council
Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m. on the
front lawn of A-180 Broadway St. W. in
Yorkton. Call Maryann Federko at 306-
621-8948.
the founding of the International Day of
Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured on
the Job. Initiated by the labour movement
through the Canadian Labour Congress in
1984, the day has taken on more significance
and is marked around the world.
Thirty one workers were killed on the job
in Saskatchewan during 2008. Ceremonies
to honour those killed and injured on the job
will take place at the following:
Estevan & District Labour
Committee Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00
pm at the Estevan provincial courthouse
lawn in front of the Coal Car Memorial.
Call Delaine Turner at 306-634-5268 or
306-421-8333.
Humboldt & District Labour Council
Call Bryan Barnes at 306-682-4466.
Moose Jaw & District Labour
Council Tuesday, April 28th at 6:00 pm
at the Moose Jaw Union Centre (1402
Caribou St. W.) Call the office at 306-
692-8046.
North Battleford & District Labour
Council Contact Colin Lemauviel at
coconb@sasktel.net.
Prince Albert & District Labour
Council Tuesday, April 28th at 5:00 pm
at the City Hall courtyard. Call Faye Hill
at 306-922-0600.
Regina & District Labour Council
Tuesday, April 28th at 5:30 p.m. in front
of the Caron in the City Hall courtyard.
Call the RDLC office at 306-757-7076 or
rdlc@sasktel.net.
Saskatoon & District Labour
Council Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m.
at the Francis Morrison Library (311-23rd
Street East). Call Kelly Harrington,
president at 306-384-0303.
Weyburn & District Labour Council
Monday, April 27th at 6:30 p.m. behind
the TC Douglas Calvary Centre (400-
10th Ave. SE). Call Wanda Bartlett at
306-842-7938.
Yorkton & District Labour Council
Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m. on the
front lawn of A-180 Broadway St. W. in
Yorkton. Call Maryann Federko at 306-
621-8948.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
IBEW manager says agreement was no behind the scenes deal
By Norm Park - Estevan Mercury
Contrary to what appeared in an April 9 press release from the CBC, stating that a deal between a union and Bruce Power was being crafted behind the scenes, the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 2067 said it just isn't that way at all.
"There's no closed door, conspiracy thing going on at all," said Neil Collins. "That's not how I work, that's not how the IBEW works," he said.
In fact, he said the membership of the IBEW local that represents about 1,600 workers, has been kept abreast of unfolding scenarios surrounding the possibilities of nuclear power generation in Saskatchewan since talk about it irst began in earnest.
Bruce Power is considering construction of a nuclear power plant while IBEW Local 2067 represents employees at SaskPower's coal-fired power plants.
Copies of the agreement signed by Bruce Power president Duncan Hawthorne and Collins were sent to IBEW members a couple of weeks ago.
The letter of agreement notes that if a nuclear power plant(s) does eventually get a green light to produce up to 2,200 megawatts of electrical power in Saskatchewan, the IBEW will be the integral part of the operations and maintenance of the facility while not negatively impacting any of the existing generating facilties or their IBEW employees.
The union, in the letter, also agrees to work with Bruce Power on nuclear advocacy and development of a communications protocol with regards to nuclear power.
According to Collins, the discussions and their results have been made known to the IBEW membership all along.
If approval is gained for a nuclear plant, probably located somewhere between Lloydminster and Prince Albert near the Saskatchewan River, construction could begin as early as 2017 or 2018.
"I'm just looking after the interests of the union members, the future," said Collins. "If a nuclear plant is going to be built here, who would you like to have operating it? Do you want the local guys or someone from somewhere else? If it is going to be Local 2067, then it will involve extensive and intensive training for a few years."
Collins denied that he or anyone else is undermining the coal generating plants in the SaskPower system by climbing into an agreement with the nuclear front runner company.
"Coal is in the future. There is a 300 year supply of it around Estevan. Clean coal projects will move ahead. We can be a global leader with clean coal. If we develop nuclear, I would guess that as much as 70 per cent of it might be exported. They'd probably have to do that to make the nuclear argument," said Collins.
"I see Boundary Dam and Shand being retrofitted for clean coal once it's proven. We can advance that technology with the Boundary Dam Unit 3 retrofit and there would be nothing stopping Saskatchewan from building the first greenfield clean coal power plant. So for anyone to suggest that I, or anyone in the union is talking about coal being on the way out, it's just not correct," said Collins.
When asked why there was a type of negative news tone to the information that was released to the public, Collins said he was not sure as to what was going on there.
"There are no games being played here, not on my part anyway," he said. "I'm just looking out for our members. We operate an electrical grid system already. If you're coming to Saskatchewan to make power, we have the expertise to assist you. If someone wants to operate it, maybe you'd want our guys, well trained, upgraded skills and tested.
If our union has the opportunity, I want to tell our union members they are in the mix. Heck, we've been discussing this for over two years now. I've never hidden that fact. We all knew discussions were going toward such a deal. I've talked with The Mercury and other news organizations about this," Collins added.
"I don't mind getting hammered if I make a mistake, but I haven't hidden anything here like that news story suggested. The membership knows we've been talking about this for years, including all the coal options. We've been talking with the United Mine Workers too ... long before this letter was signed. We're not selling the farm or backing away from coal fueled power generating plants," Collins said.
The IBEW business manager said that instead of looking for a conspiracy scenario, perhaps people should be looking on the bright side of resource development in the province.
"Look at all the forms of power generation we have already. We can do small or large projects, but we know that in the future there will be a huge demand. If oil and potash keep moving forward, they'll require power. It's a supply and demand world and if the supply side becomes limited then we'll have rolling brownouts and stalled building projects. That's why we'll always need the coal and we'll have to build on coal. Demands will double in no time. Electricity can be used as a commodity itself. Sell it."
Collins said that since Bruce Power is a private company, they will operate differently than a Crown corporation like SaskPower. They'll be looking at best value for the dollars invested and "I want my membership to have an opportunity to speak up if a private company comes here to make power and to sell it. I just figure that all the smart people will continue to look at all kinds of options. We're already blessed with what we have.
"I hate it when we sell ourselves short because we choose to be negative with anything that might be new or different from what we've had. We can compete with anyone on this globe. We just have to get on with it. We have the technology, the intellectual firepower, the knowledge from the past. Look at the PhD crowd we could attract here to tie into this mix, if we'd only just look at all our assets and get moving. We don't need to be constantly negative, we should be excited about the prospects. Let's ship our clean coal technology around the world, let's be cutting edge with clean coal," Collins said in conclusion.
The provincial government has just released information with regards to the panel that will be formed to conduct a series of hearings throughout the province that will ask Saskatchewan's citizens to respond to the concept of a nuclear power generating plant within its boundaries. The series will take the committee, headed by Dan Perrins, to nine centres within the next few weeks with one of those stops being Estevan.
Contrary to what appeared in an April 9 press release from the CBC, stating that a deal between a union and Bruce Power was being crafted behind the scenes, the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 2067 said it just isn't that way at all.
"There's no closed door, conspiracy thing going on at all," said Neil Collins. "That's not how I work, that's not how the IBEW works," he said.
In fact, he said the membership of the IBEW local that represents about 1,600 workers, has been kept abreast of unfolding scenarios surrounding the possibilities of nuclear power generation in Saskatchewan since talk about it irst began in earnest.
Bruce Power is considering construction of a nuclear power plant while IBEW Local 2067 represents employees at SaskPower's coal-fired power plants.
Copies of the agreement signed by Bruce Power president Duncan Hawthorne and Collins were sent to IBEW members a couple of weeks ago.
The letter of agreement notes that if a nuclear power plant(s) does eventually get a green light to produce up to 2,200 megawatts of electrical power in Saskatchewan, the IBEW will be the integral part of the operations and maintenance of the facility while not negatively impacting any of the existing generating facilties or their IBEW employees.
The union, in the letter, also agrees to work with Bruce Power on nuclear advocacy and development of a communications protocol with regards to nuclear power.
According to Collins, the discussions and their results have been made known to the IBEW membership all along.
If approval is gained for a nuclear plant, probably located somewhere between Lloydminster and Prince Albert near the Saskatchewan River, construction could begin as early as 2017 or 2018.
"I'm just looking after the interests of the union members, the future," said Collins. "If a nuclear plant is going to be built here, who would you like to have operating it? Do you want the local guys or someone from somewhere else? If it is going to be Local 2067, then it will involve extensive and intensive training for a few years."
Collins denied that he or anyone else is undermining the coal generating plants in the SaskPower system by climbing into an agreement with the nuclear front runner company.
"Coal is in the future. There is a 300 year supply of it around Estevan. Clean coal projects will move ahead. We can be a global leader with clean coal. If we develop nuclear, I would guess that as much as 70 per cent of it might be exported. They'd probably have to do that to make the nuclear argument," said Collins.
"I see Boundary Dam and Shand being retrofitted for clean coal once it's proven. We can advance that technology with the Boundary Dam Unit 3 retrofit and there would be nothing stopping Saskatchewan from building the first greenfield clean coal power plant. So for anyone to suggest that I, or anyone in the union is talking about coal being on the way out, it's just not correct," said Collins.
When asked why there was a type of negative news tone to the information that was released to the public, Collins said he was not sure as to what was going on there.
"There are no games being played here, not on my part anyway," he said. "I'm just looking out for our members. We operate an electrical grid system already. If you're coming to Saskatchewan to make power, we have the expertise to assist you. If someone wants to operate it, maybe you'd want our guys, well trained, upgraded skills and tested.
If our union has the opportunity, I want to tell our union members they are in the mix. Heck, we've been discussing this for over two years now. I've never hidden that fact. We all knew discussions were going toward such a deal. I've talked with The Mercury and other news organizations about this," Collins added.
"I don't mind getting hammered if I make a mistake, but I haven't hidden anything here like that news story suggested. The membership knows we've been talking about this for years, including all the coal options. We've been talking with the United Mine Workers too ... long before this letter was signed. We're not selling the farm or backing away from coal fueled power generating plants," Collins said.
The IBEW business manager said that instead of looking for a conspiracy scenario, perhaps people should be looking on the bright side of resource development in the province.
"Look at all the forms of power generation we have already. We can do small or large projects, but we know that in the future there will be a huge demand. If oil and potash keep moving forward, they'll require power. It's a supply and demand world and if the supply side becomes limited then we'll have rolling brownouts and stalled building projects. That's why we'll always need the coal and we'll have to build on coal. Demands will double in no time. Electricity can be used as a commodity itself. Sell it."
Collins said that since Bruce Power is a private company, they will operate differently than a Crown corporation like SaskPower. They'll be looking at best value for the dollars invested and "I want my membership to have an opportunity to speak up if a private company comes here to make power and to sell it. I just figure that all the smart people will continue to look at all kinds of options. We're already blessed with what we have.
"I hate it when we sell ourselves short because we choose to be negative with anything that might be new or different from what we've had. We can compete with anyone on this globe. We just have to get on with it. We have the technology, the intellectual firepower, the knowledge from the past. Look at the PhD crowd we could attract here to tie into this mix, if we'd only just look at all our assets and get moving. We don't need to be constantly negative, we should be excited about the prospects. Let's ship our clean coal technology around the world, let's be cutting edge with clean coal," Collins said in conclusion.
The provincial government has just released information with regards to the panel that will be formed to conduct a series of hearings throughout the province that will ask Saskatchewan's citizens to respond to the concept of a nuclear power generating plant within its boundaries. The series will take the committee, headed by Dan Perrins, to nine centres within the next few weeks with one of those stops being Estevan.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
I.B.E.W. Local 2067 supports nuclear and other future electricity generation options.
For Immediate Release
REGINA Apr 9th – I.B.E.W. Local 2067 has signed a letter of agreement with Bruce Power in support of the further development of the nuclear option in Saskatchewan. The agreement was delivered to the I.B.E.W. Local 2067 membership, along with other information, on April 3, 2009.
“This is an opportunity for our Local to expand on our expertise as the biggest union in the generation, distribution and transmission of electricity in the province of Saskatchewan,” said Neil Collins, I.B.E.W. Local 2067 Business Manager & Financial Secretary. “We look forward to continuing to work with Bruce Power and with our membership as the development of nuclear power continues in Saskatchewan.”
In addition to nuclear power, I.B.E.W. Local 2067 also continues to support the development of other forms of generation supply.
“We have been active supporters of the development of clean coal in the province, and that support remains,” Collins said. “We support the Government of Saskatchewan’s view that a diverse generation mix is in Saskatchewan’s best interests.”
I.B.E.W. Local 2067 members currently work at all of SaskPower’s power stations, which include coal, wind, natural gas and hydro generation.
“As Saskatchewan continues to grow and prosper so will our need for clean electricity,” Collins added.
A copy of the letter sent to the Union membership is attached.
For additional information contact:
Neil Collins
Business Manager & Financial Secretary
I.B.E.W. Local 2067
(306) 352-1433
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2067 has 1690 members throughout Saskatchewan. Our Local Union represents electrical workers in the operating, maintenance & line staff with SaskPower, mine operating and maintenance staff with Sherritt Coal in Coronach at the Poplar River Mine and electrical workers with the City of Swift Current Light and Power.
IBEW Local 2067 Encouraged by Bruce Power Feasibility Study Findings
REGINA Apr 9th – I.B.E.W. Local 2067 has signed a letter of agreement with Bruce Power in support of the further development of the nuclear option in Saskatchewan. The agreement was delivered to the I.B.E.W. Local 2067 membership, along with other information, on April 3, 2009.
“This is an opportunity for our Local to expand on our expertise as the biggest union in the generation, distribution and transmission of electricity in the province of Saskatchewan,” said Neil Collins, I.B.E.W. Local 2067 Business Manager & Financial Secretary. “We look forward to continuing to work with Bruce Power and with our membership as the development of nuclear power continues in Saskatchewan.”
In addition to nuclear power, I.B.E.W. Local 2067 also continues to support the development of other forms of generation supply.
“We have been active supporters of the development of clean coal in the province, and that support remains,” Collins said. “We support the Government of Saskatchewan’s view that a diverse generation mix is in Saskatchewan’s best interests.”
I.B.E.W. Local 2067 members currently work at all of SaskPower’s power stations, which include coal, wind, natural gas and hydro generation.
“As Saskatchewan continues to grow and prosper so will our need for clean electricity,” Collins added.
A copy of the letter sent to the Union membership is attached.
For additional information contact:
Neil Collins
Business Manager & Financial Secretary
I.B.E.W. Local 2067
(306) 352-1433
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2067 has 1690 members throughout Saskatchewan. Our Local Union represents electrical workers in the operating, maintenance & line staff with SaskPower, mine operating and maintenance staff with Sherritt Coal in Coronach at the Poplar River Mine and electrical workers with the City of Swift Current Light and Power.
IBEW Local 2067 Encouraged by Bruce Power Feasibility Study Findings
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Ontario court says RCMP officers entitled to a union
The existing RCMP Act 'interferes with the freedom of members of the RCMP to engage in collective bargaining.' - Justice Ian MacDonnell.
Toronto (8 April 2009) - Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have the right to form a union, an Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled in what may become a landmark decision for labour rights in Canada.
In a ruling this week, Justice Ian MacDonnell struck down a section of the RCMP Act that precludes unionization on grounds that it violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He gave the federal government 18 months to alter existing legislation and bring its practices into conformity with his ruling.
Read More HERE
Toronto (8 April 2009) - Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have the right to form a union, an Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled in what may become a landmark decision for labour rights in Canada.
In a ruling this week, Justice Ian MacDonnell struck down a section of the RCMP Act that precludes unionization on grounds that it violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He gave the federal government 18 months to alter existing legislation and bring its practices into conformity with his ruling.
Read More HERE
Sunday, March 29, 2009
SaskPower's largest investment in its grid to date.
By Cassandra Kyle, Saskatchewan News Network; Canwest News Service March 21, 2009
Gov't pledges $950M
The provincial government will spend more than $950 million this year to upgrade Saskatchewan's electrical system -- SaskPower's largest investment in its grid to date.
Standing in Saskatoon's 50-year-old Queen Elizabeth Power Station, Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said Friday the spending is needed to provide a growing population with power, ensure businesses have the electricity they need to operate, and upgrade an "infrastructure deficit" left by the previous NDP government. Of the $954 million set to be spent this year, nearly $400 million will go to new-generation projects.
NDP responds
NDP wants to know how rates affected
Gov't pledges $950M
The provincial government will spend more than $950 million this year to upgrade Saskatchewan's electrical system -- SaskPower's largest investment in its grid to date.
Standing in Saskatoon's 50-year-old Queen Elizabeth Power Station, Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said Friday the spending is needed to provide a growing population with power, ensure businesses have the electricity they need to operate, and upgrade an "infrastructure deficit" left by the previous NDP government. Of the $954 million set to be spent this year, nearly $400 million will go to new-generation projects.
NDP responds
NDP wants to know how rates affected
Saturday, March 7, 2009
But some commentators (Richard Wolffe of Newsweek, Chuck Todd of NBC News, etc.) have likened this to "what Republicans tried to do to the Democrats with Michael Moore." Perhaps. But there is one central difference: What I have believed in, and what I have stood for in these past eight years - an end to the war, establishing universal health care, closing Guantanamo and banning torture, making the rich pay more taxes and aggressively going after the corporate chiefs on Wall Street - these are all things which the majority of Americans believe in too. That's why in November the majority voted for the guy I voted for. The majority of Americans rejected the ideology of Rush and embraced the same issues I have raised consistently in my movies and books.
In the midst of the craziness, conservatives are busy trying to blame this epic economic catastrophe — a conflagration of their own making — on the new president. Forget Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush and George Herbert Hoover Bush and the Heritage Foundation and the Club for Growth and Phil Gramm and Newt Gingrich and all the rest. The right-wingers would have you believe this is Obama’s downturn.
Miracles Take Time
Miracles Take Time
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Emissions project started
By Bruce Johnstone, Leader-PostMarch 4, 2009
The first phase of a $200-million project to produce activated carbon to reduce mercury emissions at coal-fired generating stations is underway at Bienfait, east of Estevan.
Sherritt International Corp. and Norit Canada Inc. are building the first of four 15,000-ton activated carbon units, which is expected to be in operation by February 2010.
"It's a good environmental product,'' said Kevin Mueller, vice-president of mining operations for Sherritt Coal in Edmonton. "It's going to pull mercury out of flue gases (from coal-fired generating stations). And we're doing it in Bienfait, Sask.''
Mueller said the plant will be the first activated carbon plant in Canada, but similar to one being built by Norit in Marshall, Texas, which is in the commissioning phase. "It's definitely the first of its kind in Canada,'' Mueller said.
Mercury is a neurotoxin, which is particularly damaging to the development of the fetus and young children, and is considered an extremely dangerous contaminant of air and water.
READ MORE
The first phase of a $200-million project to produce activated carbon to reduce mercury emissions at coal-fired generating stations is underway at Bienfait, east of Estevan.
Sherritt International Corp. and Norit Canada Inc. are building the first of four 15,000-ton activated carbon units, which is expected to be in operation by February 2010.
"It's a good environmental product,'' said Kevin Mueller, vice-president of mining operations for Sherritt Coal in Edmonton. "It's going to pull mercury out of flue gases (from coal-fired generating stations). And we're doing it in Bienfait, Sask.''
Mueller said the plant will be the first activated carbon plant in Canada, but similar to one being built by Norit in Marshall, Texas, which is in the commissioning phase. "It's definitely the first of its kind in Canada,'' Mueller said.
Mercury is a neurotoxin, which is particularly damaging to the development of the fetus and young children, and is considered an extremely dangerous contaminant of air and water.
READ MORE
Saskatchewan a jobs 'hot spot' in Canada
By Mallory Simon CNN
(CNN) -- Normally, "hot spot" isn't the first phrase that comes to mind when talking about Saskatchewan, Canada.
But with most of Canada suffering from devastating job losses, this cold province is becoming exactly that.
It's an asterisk to the entire country when it comes to the economic climate, and Premier Brad Wall is shouting it as loud as he can.
"It's a great time to come to Saskatchewan," said Wall, who even called the Toronto Star newspaper to tout his province's economic success and let Ontarians know there were jobs for the taking.
"For those who are losing their jobs, we need them to know we have thousands of jobs open right now in both the private and public sector," Wall said. "We have a powerful story to tell, a story of success and that's something we want to share with those who are struggling."
Wall's province is one of the exceptions to the unemployment increases battering provinces across Canada. Saskatchewan's unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent in January from 4.2 percent in December, making it the only province recording a decline. In Ontario and the city of Toronto, unemployment rates rose to 7.2 percent and 8.5 percent respectively. To the west, British Columbia shed 68,000 full-time jobs in January.
READ MORE
(CNN) -- Normally, "hot spot" isn't the first phrase that comes to mind when talking about Saskatchewan, Canada.
But with most of Canada suffering from devastating job losses, this cold province is becoming exactly that.
It's an asterisk to the entire country when it comes to the economic climate, and Premier Brad Wall is shouting it as loud as he can.
"It's a great time to come to Saskatchewan," said Wall, who even called the Toronto Star newspaper to tout his province's economic success and let Ontarians know there were jobs for the taking.
"For those who are losing their jobs, we need them to know we have thousands of jobs open right now in both the private and public sector," Wall said. "We have a powerful story to tell, a story of success and that's something we want to share with those who are struggling."
Wall's province is one of the exceptions to the unemployment increases battering provinces across Canada. Saskatchewan's unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent in January from 4.2 percent in December, making it the only province recording a decline. In Ontario and the city of Toronto, unemployment rates rose to 7.2 percent and 8.5 percent respectively. To the west, British Columbia shed 68,000 full-time jobs in January.
READ MORE
Who You Calling Socialist?
"We are all socialists now," proclaims Newsweek. We are creating "socialist republics" in the United States, says Mike Huckabee, adding, on reflection, that "Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff." We are witnessing the Obama-era phenomenon of "European socialism transplanted to Washington," says Newt Gingrich.
Well! Even as we all turn red, I've still encountered just two avowed democratic socialists in my daily rounds through the nation's capital: Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders . . . and the guy I see in the mirror when I shave. Bernie is quite capable of speaking for himself, so what follows is a report on the state of actual existing socialism from the other half of the D.C. Senators and Columnists Soviet.
First, as we survey the political landscape, what's striking is the absence of advocates of socialism, at least as the term was understood by those who carried that banner during the capitalist crisis of the 1930s. Then, socialists and communists both spoke of nationalizing all major industries and abolishing private markets and the wage system. Today, it's impossible to find a left-leaning party anywhere that has such demands or entertains such fantasies. (Not even Hugo Chávez - more an authoritarian populist than any kind of socialist - says such things.)
Within the confines of socialist history, this means that the perspective of Eduard Bernstein - the fin de siecle German socialist who argued that the immediate struggle to humanize capitalism through the instruments of democratic government was everything, and that the goal of supplanting capitalism altogether was meaningless - has definitively prevailed. Within the confines of American history, this means that when New York's garment unions left the Socialist Party to endorse Franklin Roosevelt in 1936, they were charting the paradigmatic course for American socialists: into the Democratic Party to support not the abolition of capitalism but its regulation and democratization, and the creation of some areas of public life where the market does not rule.
(Photo: Wired.com)
Monday, March 2, 2009
"Cap and trade" climate change plan coming in spring session, gov't says
By James Wood, TheStarPhoenix.com
REGINA — The Saskatchewan Party government will move forward with a climate change plan similar to Alberta’s levy on polluters, even as a national cap and trade system appears a near certainty.
The government’s own timeline for its plan — with a centerpiece “technology fund” — is to be released before the end of the legislative session in May.
“We’ll have targets and for those industries and companies that are unable to meet them, they’d pay into the fund and then that money would be turned around. Part of it would go into research and development and the rest would go back to industry to help them actually install or implement the technologies to reduce their emissions,” Environment Minister Nancy Heppner said Thursday.
Read More from WOODS HERE
REGINA — The Saskatchewan Party government will move forward with a climate change plan similar to Alberta’s levy on polluters, even as a national cap and trade system appears a near certainty.
The government’s own timeline for its plan — with a centerpiece “technology fund” — is to be released before the end of the legislative session in May.
“We’ll have targets and for those industries and companies that are unable to meet them, they’d pay into the fund and then that money would be turned around. Part of it would go into research and development and the rest would go back to industry to help them actually install or implement the technologies to reduce their emissions,” Environment Minister Nancy Heppner said Thursday.
Read More from WOODS HERE
Clean Coal Project Just Got A Little Bit Closer
By Norm Park of The Mercury
And then there were three.
The clean coal project at Boundary Dam's No. 3 unit took another major step toward becoming a reality last Friday afternoon when SaskPower announced that they now had a short list of three companies that were being invited to provide proposals to capture carbon dioxide at Boundary Dam Power Station.
Doug Daverne, manager of the SaskPower clean coal project, said the focus is now on upgrading Unit No. 3, a 100 megawatt power generating unit at Boundary, to modern standards while reducing greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, without causing an increase in power rates to the provincial customers.
The companies that have been selected to continue to a next stage of evaluation are Powerspan Corp. of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Cansolve Technologies Inc. of Montreal and Fluor Canada Ltd., with a Canadian headquarters in Calgary.
Daverne said SaskPower's original call for proposals for the large CO2 capture project went out to 15 companies and five ultimately submitted proposals before the end of 2008.
Read More From Norm Park HERE
And then there were three.
The clean coal project at Boundary Dam's No. 3 unit took another major step toward becoming a reality last Friday afternoon when SaskPower announced that they now had a short list of three companies that were being invited to provide proposals to capture carbon dioxide at Boundary Dam Power Station.
Doug Daverne, manager of the SaskPower clean coal project, said the focus is now on upgrading Unit No. 3, a 100 megawatt power generating unit at Boundary, to modern standards while reducing greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, without causing an increase in power rates to the provincial customers.
The companies that have been selected to continue to a next stage of evaluation are Powerspan Corp. of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Cansolve Technologies Inc. of Montreal and Fluor Canada Ltd., with a Canadian headquarters in Calgary.
Daverne said SaskPower's original call for proposals for the large CO2 capture project went out to 15 companies and five ultimately submitted proposals before the end of 2008.
Read More From Norm Park HERE
Friday, February 13, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Joseph Stiglitz: Nationalized Banks Are "Only Answer"
Friday 06 February 2009 by: Deutsche WelleNationalized banks are the "only answer," economist Stiglitz says. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz talks about nationalizing banks, the outlook for developing countries, and the need for an international financial regulator.
DW-WORLD: Many experts fear that while things are bad now, we haven't seen the worst of the crisis yet. Do you share the belief that we are facing a long decline that could rival the Great Depression?
Read More on this interview By Deutsche Welle HERE
Art Work From: The Financial Times
THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT
Questions and Answers
b y R o s s E i s e n b r e y a n d D a v i d K u s n e t
Questions and Answers
b y R o s s E i s e n b r e y a n d D a v i d K u s n e t
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
President Obama on Wednesday announced a salary cap of $500,000 for top executives at companies that receive large amounts of bailout money.
Obama Calls for ‘Common Sense’ on Executive Pay
Obama Calls for ‘Common Sense’ on Executive Pay
Saturday, January 31, 2009
On 22 January thousands of Cambodian trade unionists marked the 5th anniversary of the assassination of Chea Vichea. Chea was shot shortly after leading an organizing campaign at the INSM Garment Factory in Phnom Phenh. His killers remain free. (photo: Wikipedia) Click here for more labour news from Cambodia. Got a photo that should be here? Post it via Flickr.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
How could Citigroup be so dumb as to go ahead with plans to get a new $50 million corporate jet, the exclusive Dassault Falcon 7X seating 12, after losing $28.5 billion in the past 15 months and receiving $345 billion in government investments and guarantees?
Wall Street’s Socialist Jet-Setters
Wall Street’s Socialist Jet-Setters
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Barack Obama gets it, but I’m not sure Congress does. “Yes,” Mr. Obama said on Thursday, “we’ll put people to work repairing crumbling roads, bridges and schools by eliminating the backlog of well-planned, worthy and needed infrastructure projects. But we’ll also do more to retrofit America for a global economy.” Sure that means more smart grids and broadband highways, he added, but it also “means investing in the science, research and technology that will lead to new medical breakthroughs, new discoveries and entire new industries.”
Tax Cuts for Teachers
Tax Cuts for Teachers
Moving forward with 'clean coal'
By James Wood, Saskatchewan News Network; Canwest News Service
SaskPower and the provincial government will face a major decision this year as they attempt to move forward with a groundbreaking "clean coal" project near Estevan.
After inviting 15 vendors to bring forward proposals last summer, SaskPower has received five responses from companies interested in providing the technology for its $1.4 billion pilot project.
The government expects to announce a shortlist in early February and make its technology
choice in the last month of 2009, Saskatchewan Party Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said this week.
"I'm told that the five who've come back are very strong so I guess the bottom line is if you can get five strong competing ones that is satisfactory," said Cheveldayoff, expressing confidence
Read More From Woods Here
SaskPower and the provincial government will face a major decision this year as they attempt to move forward with a groundbreaking "clean coal" project near Estevan.
After inviting 15 vendors to bring forward proposals last summer, SaskPower has received five responses from companies interested in providing the technology for its $1.4 billion pilot project.
The government expects to announce a shortlist in early February and make its technology
choice in the last month of 2009, Saskatchewan Party Crown Corporations Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said this week.
"I'm told that the five who've come back are very strong so I guess the bottom line is if you can get five strong competing ones that is satisfactory," said Cheveldayoff, expressing confidence
Read More From Woods Here
Friday, January 9, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Labor Calls for Unity After Years of Division
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE Published: January 7, 2009
The presidents of 12 of the nation’s largest labor unions called Wednesday for reuniting the American labor movement, which split apart three and a half years ago when seven unions left the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and formed a rival federation.
The union presidents issued their joint call after the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama signaled that it would prefer dealing with a united movement, rather than a fractured one that often had two competing voices.
Read More From Greenhouse HERE
The presidents of 12 of the nation’s largest labor unions called Wednesday for reuniting the American labor movement, which split apart three and a half years ago when seven unions left the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and formed a rival federation.
The union presidents issued their joint call after the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama signaled that it would prefer dealing with a united movement, rather than a fractured one that often had two competing voices.
Read More From Greenhouse HERE
Unions: A Surprise American Favorite
There's a remedy for that - the Employee Free Choice Act that's been before Congress for several years. It would greatly increase the penalties on employers who violate workers' union rights, fining them up to $20,000 per violation. And employers who stall in contract negotiations with workers who vote to unionize - another common tactic - would have the contract terms determined in mediation or dictated by an arbitrator.
More From: Labor - And A Whole Lot More
More From: Labor - And A Whole Lot More
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Murray Mandryk Attacks Labour......
What Do The Auto Worker's Really Make Murray Mandryk ?
Collective shake of the head required
By DAVID LEONHARDT - $73 an Hour: Adding It Up
Published: December 9, 2008 NY Times
Let’s start with the numbers. The $73-an-hour figure comes from the car companies themselves. As part of their public relations strategy during labor negotiations, the companies put out various charts and reports explaining what they paid their workers. Wall Street analysts have done similar calculations.
The calculations show, accurately enough, that for every hour a unionized worker puts in, one of the Big Three really does spend about $73 on compensation. So the number isn’t made up. But it is the combination of three very different categories.
The first category is simply cash payments, which is what many people imagine when they hear the word “compensation.” It includes wages, overtime and vacation pay, and comes to about $40 an hour. (The numbers vary a bit by company and year. That’s why $73 is sometimes $70 or $77.)
The second category is fringe benefits, like health insurance and pensions. These benefits have real value, even if they don’t show up on a weekly paycheck. At the Big Three, the benefits amount to $15 an hour or so.
Add the two together, and you get the true hourly compensation of Detroit’s unionized work force: roughly $55 an hour. It’s a little more than twice as much as the typical American worker makes, benefits included. The more relevant comparison, though, is probably to Honda’s or Toyota’s (nonunionized) workers. They make in the neighborhood of $45 an hour, and most of the gap stems from their less generous benefits.
The third category is the cost of benefits for retirees. These are essentially fixed costs that have no relation to how many vehicles the companies make. But they are a real cost, so the companies add them into the mix — dividing those costs by the total hours of the current work force, to get a figure of $15 or so — and end up at roughly $70 an hour.
The crucial point, though, is this $15 isn’t mainly a reflection of how generous the retiree benefits are. It’s a reflection of how many retirees there are. The Big Three built up a huge pool of retirees long before Honda and Toyota opened plants in this country. You’d never know this by looking at the graphic behind Wolf Blitzer on CNN last week, contrasting the “$73/hour” pay of Detroit’s workers with the “up to $48/hour” pay of workers at the Japanese companies.
These retirees make up arguably Detroit’s best case for a bailout. The Big Three and the U.A.W. had the bad luck of helping to create the middle class in a country where individual companies — as opposed to all of society — must shoulder much of the burden of paying for retirement.
So here’s a little experiment. Imagine that a Congressional bailout effectively pays for $10 an hour of the retiree benefits. That’s roughly the gap between the Big Three’s retiree costs and those of the Japanese-owned plants in this country. Imagine, also, that the U.A.W. agrees to reduce pay and benefits for current workers to $45 an hour — the same as at Honda and Toyota.
Do you know how much that would reduce the cost of producing a Big Three vehicle? Only about $800.
Factcheck: Do auto workers really make more than $70 per hour?
Hubich: It's time to stop blaming the workers
Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead ...a message from Michael Moore
Collective shake of the head required
By DAVID LEONHARDT - $73 an Hour: Adding It Up
Published: December 9, 2008 NY Times
Let’s start with the numbers. The $73-an-hour figure comes from the car companies themselves. As part of their public relations strategy during labor negotiations, the companies put out various charts and reports explaining what they paid their workers. Wall Street analysts have done similar calculations.
The calculations show, accurately enough, that for every hour a unionized worker puts in, one of the Big Three really does spend about $73 on compensation. So the number isn’t made up. But it is the combination of three very different categories.
The first category is simply cash payments, which is what many people imagine when they hear the word “compensation.” It includes wages, overtime and vacation pay, and comes to about $40 an hour. (The numbers vary a bit by company and year. That’s why $73 is sometimes $70 or $77.)
The second category is fringe benefits, like health insurance and pensions. These benefits have real value, even if they don’t show up on a weekly paycheck. At the Big Three, the benefits amount to $15 an hour or so.
Add the two together, and you get the true hourly compensation of Detroit’s unionized work force: roughly $55 an hour. It’s a little more than twice as much as the typical American worker makes, benefits included. The more relevant comparison, though, is probably to Honda’s or Toyota’s (nonunionized) workers. They make in the neighborhood of $45 an hour, and most of the gap stems from their less generous benefits.
The third category is the cost of benefits for retirees. These are essentially fixed costs that have no relation to how many vehicles the companies make. But they are a real cost, so the companies add them into the mix — dividing those costs by the total hours of the current work force, to get a figure of $15 or so — and end up at roughly $70 an hour.
The crucial point, though, is this $15 isn’t mainly a reflection of how generous the retiree benefits are. It’s a reflection of how many retirees there are. The Big Three built up a huge pool of retirees long before Honda and Toyota opened plants in this country. You’d never know this by looking at the graphic behind Wolf Blitzer on CNN last week, contrasting the “$73/hour” pay of Detroit’s workers with the “up to $48/hour” pay of workers at the Japanese companies.
These retirees make up arguably Detroit’s best case for a bailout. The Big Three and the U.A.W. had the bad luck of helping to create the middle class in a country where individual companies — as opposed to all of society — must shoulder much of the burden of paying for retirement.
So here’s a little experiment. Imagine that a Congressional bailout effectively pays for $10 an hour of the retiree benefits. That’s roughly the gap between the Big Three’s retiree costs and those of the Japanese-owned plants in this country. Imagine, also, that the U.A.W. agrees to reduce pay and benefits for current workers to $45 an hour — the same as at Honda and Toyota.
Do you know how much that would reduce the cost of producing a Big Three vehicle? Only about $800.
Factcheck: Do auto workers really make more than $70 per hour?
Hubich: It's time to stop blaming the workers
Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead ...a message from Michael Moore
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Hubich slams auto CEOs
By Neil Scott January 3, 2009
Top auto industry executives should be thrown into jail and the keys to the companies seized by workers who actually manufacture cars, the top Saskatchewan labour leader said Friday.
Larry Hubich, the firebrand president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, said top executives with auto companies and other big businesses "don't do anything'' other than collect big salaries and travel the world on corporate jets.
"It's time for the workers to take over some of these companies,'' Hubich said Friday, the first regular working day of the new year.....
Hubich's comments were partly in reaction to a report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives indicating that -- four minutes into the first working day of the new year --
Canada's best-paid CEOs had already pulled in what the average Canadian worker earns in a year.
Or at least that's what they pulled in during 2007, the latest full year for which figures are available.
"The 100 highest paid CEOs of Canadian publicly traded corporations received an average of $10,408,054 in total compensation in 2007," the report by the left-of-centre research organization said, noting that was a record average 22.7-per-cent increase from the year before and brought their combined pay packet to a record of more than $1 billion.
"At that rate of pay, Canada's richest CEOs pocket the average Canadian wage of $40,237 by 9:04 a.m. Jan. 2, before most Canadians have booted up their computer for another year of work," said Hugh Mackenzie, association researcher and author of the report.
Read More From Scott HERE
CEO pay in Canada to come under spotlight
Top auto industry executives should be thrown into jail and the keys to the companies seized by workers who actually manufacture cars, the top Saskatchewan labour leader said Friday.
Larry Hubich, the firebrand president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, said top executives with auto companies and other big businesses "don't do anything'' other than collect big salaries and travel the world on corporate jets.
"It's time for the workers to take over some of these companies,'' Hubich said Friday, the first regular working day of the new year.....
Hubich's comments were partly in reaction to a report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives indicating that -- four minutes into the first working day of the new year --
Canada's best-paid CEOs had already pulled in what the average Canadian worker earns in a year.
Or at least that's what they pulled in during 2007, the latest full year for which figures are available.
"The 100 highest paid CEOs of Canadian publicly traded corporations received an average of $10,408,054 in total compensation in 2007," the report by the left-of-centre research organization said, noting that was a record average 22.7-per-cent increase from the year before and brought their combined pay packet to a record of more than $1 billion.
"At that rate of pay, Canada's richest CEOs pocket the average Canadian wage of $40,237 by 9:04 a.m. Jan. 2, before most Canadians have booted up their computer for another year of work," said Hugh Mackenzie, association researcher and author of the report.
Read More From Scott HERE
CEO pay in Canada to come under spotlight
New TFSA offers tax haven but risks involved
Philip Stavrou, CTV.ca NewsIf you've visited your local bank lately you've probably been asked if you'd like to open a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA).
The new account offers Canadians a vehicle where they can deposit up to $5,000 annually without paying taxes on the interest earned.
TFSA holders must also consider how they want to invest their cash -- through an interest-earning savings account or through higher-risk choices such as stocks that could provide better returns.
Read More From Philip HERE
Your first resolution: Open a tax-free savings account
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